Shoot your shot
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WORK • Tuesday Routine
Opening jitters
LEAH COHEN • chef/owner • Pig & Khao, Piggyback NYC
Neighborhood you work in: LES, UWS, and Midtown
Neighborhood you live in: Jersey City
It’s Tuesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
We're opening a new location of Pig & Khao on the Upper West Side tomorrow, so that's where I'm spending most of my time right now. It's controlled chaos! I get to the restaurant at 9a and review the prep for the day with my team. Then I'm in the kitchen training our cooks for most of the day. We have a lot of new dishes on the menu for this location. In between training, I'll place a bunch of orders, do a couple of interviews, and sneak out to grab an iced coffee.
What’s on the agenda for today?
When I'm not getting ready for an opening, I don't have to be at the restaurant really early. So a typical day for me starts with a strength workout at home (I have a Mirror) or a class at SLT. Then I'll work on a few Instagram things — finishing up some edits on my cooking videos and reviewing a couple of videos for my "Pop A Shot" series, where I challenge other chefs to play me. I'm obsessed with this basketball game and thought it would be fun to challenge chefs to a game (and make the loser cook!). I'm also always working on new dishes for Pig & Khao and Piggyback. Tonight, I'm planning to be home in time to make dinner for my kids and take on the battle of bedtime.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Razza in Jersey City is a favorite and we'll be heading there this weekend. I'm also hoping to pop into Shuka at some point for a quick bite. Love Ayesha's food!
How about a little leisure or culture this week?
We've been all things Upper West Side with this new opening so we'll be taking the kids to the American Museum of Natural History. And now that basketball is back I'm trying to get some Knicks tickets. Piggyback is just a couple of blocks from MSG, so I can work part of service and get over there in about five minutes.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
I don't even know who I am right now saying this but I'm obsessed with the Kia Carnival. It's a minivan. And I'm getting one in February. And it's actually not about the kids. The seats recline, it has foot rests, storage space, built-in screens.... It’ll be my office too. We're opening a restaurant in Philadelphia next year and now I'm actually looking forward to the drive between NYC and Philly.
What NYC store or service do you love to recommend?
Annastasia Konidaris at Hair Throne in the Lower East Side has been doing my hair forever. Cuts, highlights — she's the best. For a store, I love Sézane on Elizabeth Street. Their loafers are great, and so are their belts. Their cardigans are really good too. I love everything really. Their pantsuits are great. Everything they do is just a little more interesting.
WORK LINKS: Inside WSA, the downtown office building that’s become a hotspot • Behind Upgrade Citizens Brigade’s second act on 14th St. • Apple takes another floor at Penn 11 • Women entrepreneurs, CEOs up over 2023 • Is this the year of the sober office holiday party?
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Taking flight
